Detroit Pistons Officially Announce Major Change for Next Year
The Detroit Pistons are starting a new era once again.
Early on in the week, the Pistons were reportedly targeting J.B. Bickerstaff to become their next head coach. On Wednesday, the organization officially announced the hiring.
“This is a pivotal time,” said Pistons owner Tom Gores. “We need a leader who can immediately instill a culture of growth, development and inspiration. After spending time with J.B., it’s clear he is a passionate teacher with a competitive spirit who knows what it takes to win in today’s NBA. He’s also a strong communicator, which provides great synergy with Trajan [Langdon] and the front office we have assembled. He will be an outstanding partner in helping our players maximize their potential and compete consistently.”
The Pistons have been in the midst of a rebuild for quite some time. Two offseasons ago, they parted ways with Dwane Casey as the head coach. As Casey moved into a front office role with the organization, Detroit fired up a new search, landing on former Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams to kickstart a new era.
Williams landed a historical six-year contract in Detroit. Despite the state of the Pistons, they invested a ton into a seasoned head coach rather than taking the typical route a rebuilding franchise by taking a chance on a less experienced candidate with a strong background in player development.
It was clear the Monty Williams era was off to a rough start. After the Pistons failed to exceed 20 wins in 2022-2023, they regressed under Williams. It seemed as though he wasn’t in the hotseat at first, considering the amount of money the Pistons invested into the veteran coach. A change in the front office suggested otherwise.
The addition of new President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon called for a possible change. As the offseason progressed, the Pistons’ review of the season led them to cut their losses and move on from Williams. Despite being on the hook with his salary for the next five seasons, Detroit chose to move on.
It was a short-lived search for a replacement. The Pistons reportedly considered several candidates, with Bickerstaff being among the initial batch of prospects. After taking everything into consideration, the Pistons decided Bickerstaff is the guy for the job.
“Detroit has a great basketball history and I look forward to the opportunity to join Trajan in building a product on the floor that everyone can be proud of,” Bickerstaff said in a statement. “As Trajan and Tom expressed their collective goals, it aligns with how I coach and how I look to develop players and drive results. We’re going to put a group of players on the floor that will compete each night and we won’t skip steps to be successful.”
As a head coach, Bickerstaff has nearly 500 games of experience. His teams have won 47 percent of their matchups, with three playoff runs. At his last stop, Bickerstaff’s Cavaliers missed the playoffs in three-straight seasons. Over the last two years, they finished with a spot in the postseason. Two years ago, Cleveland was a first-round exit. Last year, they made it to the second round before coming up short.
The Pistons aren’t in a rush to get back into playoff contention, but they are confident Bickerstaff is the right guy to get them to where they need to be.
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